Record changer spindle and adapter mechanism



March 22, 1966 J. D. MORRISON 3,241,838

RECORD CHANGER SPINDLE AND ADAPTER MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet l in 1 Q W a .3 fi INVENTOR. 02222265 l Z. Zforrwazz March 22, 1966 J. L. n. MORRISON RECORD CHANGER SPINDLE AND ADAPTER MECHANISM 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1965 INVIIZNTOR ZJZS 022 March 22, 1966 J. L. D. MORRISON 3,241,338

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RECORD CHANGER SPINDLE AND ADAPTER MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 I NVl' JNTOR.

James [.17. fliorrzsozz 2% BY, W 19W (Zfifys March 22, 1966 MORRlSON 3,241,838

RECORD CHANGER SPINDLE AND ADAPTER MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 F I 20. /g J35 J76 50 164 7 INVENTOR.

James fi fliorralsozz 2 gm I W 19W dziysr United States Patent 3,241,838 RECORD CHANGER SPINDLE AND ADAPTER MECHANISM James L. D. Morrison, 2045 Maude-ville Canyon Road, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Mar. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 268,042 19 Claims. (Cl. 274-) This application is a continuation-in-part of my pending application Serial No. 119,400, filed June 26, 1961, entitled Record Changer Spindle, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a record changer spindle of the type adapted to support a stack of records and to drop the records one at a time to a turntable.

More specifically, the invention relates to a spindle of the self-supporting type having a plurality of circumferentially spaced record supporting fingers which normally project outwardly from a spindle body in order to support a stack of records without need of additional record stabilizing means, and which are adapted to be withdrawn into the spindle body in order to drop a record to the turntable.

The present invention is related in large part to an adapter intended to fit over a self-supporting spindle of the foregoing type to permit handling records having a relatively large centerhole such as the 45 rpm. records commonly in use today. In addition, the invention relates to means embodied in the self-supporting spindle for actuating record support and separator means which comprise record feeding means for the large diameter adapter spindle.

Certain types of adapters for playing 45 rpm. records are known in the art. For example, Van Antwerp Patent 2,918,288, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows an adapter which is capable of being mounted over a small diameter spindle for the purpose of playing 45 r.p.m. records having a large centerhole. However, while various forms of adapters of the general type shown in the above-mentioned Van Antwerp patent are known and are in commercial use today, it is believed that all such adapters are designed for mounting over a small diameter spindle of the type having an upper offset portion providing a shelf or shoulder on which a stack of records is supported, and having an ejector lever or the like for engaging the lowermost record of the stack at its centerhole and pushing it laterally off the shelf in order to permit it to drop to the turntable. It is common in structures of the foregoing type to design the adapter so that its record feeding mechansim, which normally includes a pair of record supporting shelves and a pair of record separators, is actuated by the lateral movement of the ejector lever of the small diameter spindle.

It is well known that the offset type of spindle described above is not self-supporting in that some form of record stabilizing means, such as an arm arranged to bear down on the top record in a stack, is required in order to properly support a stack of records on the offset shelf of the spindle. On the other hand, the present invention relates to an entirely different type of spindle, such as is disclosed in my above-mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 119,400, wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers normally project radially outwardly from the spindle body so as to support a stack of records in a stable manner without use of a stabilizer arm or other additional means to prevent the stack from tilting.

As is known in the art, self-supporting spindles of the type last above-mentioned are actuated by lowering the supporting finger assembly so that the several supporting fingers are cammed radially inwardly into the spindle body to permit a record to drop, while additional means is provided within the spindle for engaging and supporting all but the bottom record in the stack. Due to the fact that such self-supporting spindles differ substantially in their structure and mode of operation from the olfset spindles described hereinabove, it will of course be understood that adapters designed for mounting over an offset spindle cannot be used with a self-supporting spindle. In fact, unlike offset spindles which have an ejector lever which can conveniently be used to actuate an adapter mounted thereon, self-supporting spindles of the type heretofore known do not have any movable components which are well suited for use as a means to actuate an adapter.

For the foregoing reasons, no satisfactory design for an adapter capable of being mounted over a self-supporting spindle has heretofore been devised, and it is believed to be the universal practice to remove a self-supporting spindle and substitute in place thereof a large diameter spindle when it is desired to play 45 r.p.m. records on a record changer normally equipped with a self-supporting spindle. Thus, While self-supporting spindles have certain important advantages over offset spindles, they have heretofore been subject to the serious disadvantage that they are not suited for use with a large diameter adapter of the type which fits over a small diameter spindle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-supporting spindle which is well suited for use with a large diameter adapter which can be mounted over the smaller diameter self-supporting spindle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selfsupporting spindle having novel actuating means for actuating the record-feeding components of an adapter which is mounted over the spindle.

An additional object is to provide a large diameter adapter which is particularly suited for use with a selfsupporting type spindle and which can be mounted over such a spindle and actuated therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adapter as last above-mentioned which is capable of supporting a record to be played in an intermediate position spaced from the record stack to permit a tone arm or other suitable means to sense the size of the record before it is dropped to a turntable for playing.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for actuating the record-feeding components of a self-supporting spindle.

Other advantages and uses of my invention will be apparent, or become so, as I describe the invention in greater detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of a record changer embodying my improved self-supporting spindle and improved mechanism for actuating the record-feeding components thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section, taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 5, illustrating a self-supporting spindle of the type shown in FIGURE 1, and further showing an adapter mounted over the spindle in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the record feeding components of the self-supporting spindle and of the adapter as positioned during a different portion of a record change cycle;

FIGURES 4a and 4b when view together one above the other comprise an enlarged vertical section, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 5, showing the combination of a self-supporting spindle and an adapter mounted thereon;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the line 77 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the line 88 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along the line 99 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a detail vertical section of the upper part of a rotary cam member adapted to reciprocate an axially movable actuator rod which is housed within the self-supporting spindle of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 11 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along the line 1111 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a detail vertical section of the lower part of a rotary cam member which part is adapted to be combined with the component shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 13 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along the line 13--13 of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a developed view of a rotary cam comprising an assembly of the components of FIGURES 10 and 12;

FIGURE 15 is a detail elevational view of a second rotary cam member adapted to control the record supporting fingers of the self-supporting spindle of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 16 is a developed view of the cam member of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged view, looking down substantially in the direction of the arrows 1818 of FIG- URE 1, showing certain components of FIGURE 17 in greater detail, and in particular showing mechanism for actuating the rotary cam member of FIGURE 15 and means for rendering such mechanism either operative or inoperative;

FIGURE 19 is a view similar to FIGURE 18 showing certain elements thereof in an alternative position;

FIGURE 20 is a section taken substantially along the line 2020 of FIGURE 18; and

FIGURE 21 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along the line 2121 of FIGURE 18.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URE l a record changer comprising a baseplate 30, turntable 32, tone arm 34, and a self-supporting spindle 36. The spindle 36 includes a tubular body portion 38 having a plurality of vertical slots 40 in the upper portion thereof whereby a plurality of record supporting fingers 42 and clutch members 44 which are housed within the body 38 may be moved radially outwardly and inwardly in proper sequence to feed records mounted on the spindle one-by-one to the turntable 32.

In operation, the record supporting fingers 42 are normally extended outwardly of the spindle body 38 as shown in FIGURE 1 so as to be adapted to support a plurality of records which are mounted over the spindle, and the clutch members 44 are normally retracted within the spindle body so as to freely permit records to be slid down the spindle to rest upon the upper ends of the supporting fingers 42. In order to drop the lowermost record in a stack to the turntable for playing, the clutch members 44 are first expanded radially outwardly to grip all but the lowermost record in the stack, and the supporting fingers 42 are then pulled axially downwardly whereby they are cammed into the spindle body 38 upon engagement with the latter at the lower ends of the slots 40. The supporting fingers 42 are then returned to the position of FIG- URE 1 and the clutch members 44 are retracted so as to again support the stack of records on the supporting fingers. The foregoing description of a sequence of operations is believed sulficient for purposes of understanding the present invention, but reference is made to my co-pending application Serial No. 119,400 for a more complete description of the supporting fingers and clutch members and the preferred sequence of operation thereof.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 2,3, 4a and 4b which show in combination a self-supporting spindle 36 of the type illustrated in FIGURE 1, and an adapter 46 constructed in accordance with the present invention and mounted over the spindle 36 to permit handling of 45 r.p.m. records. The adapter 46 includes an upper section 48, an intermediate section 50, and a lower section 52. FIGURE 4a shows the manner in which a pair of screws 53 are passed upwardly through apertures in the intermediate section and threaded into the upper section 48 so as to rigidly connect the latter two sections together.

Each of the three adapter sections 48, 50 and 52 is provided with an axial tubular portion adapted to receive the self-supporting spindle 36 when the adapter is mounted thereover. Thus, the upper adapter section 48 is provided with an inner body portion 54 (shown best in FIGURE 4a) within which is formed a generally cylindrical chamber 55 which is rounded at its upper end and conforms substantially to the configuration of the upper end of the spindle 36 so as to be adapted to accommodate the latter. The intermediate adapter section 50 is provided with an inner body portion 56 within which is formed a cylindrical opening 58 which extends axially through the entire body and is adapted to receive the spindle 36. Similarly, the lower adapter section 52 includes an inner body portion 60 having a cylindrical axial opening 62 therein to accommodate the self-supporting spindle 36.

A thin-walled tubular member 63 having an outwardly flared frusto-conical lower end portion 64 extends upwardly through the axial opening 62 in the lower adapter body portion 60 so as to project into a counterbore or the like in the body portion 56 of the adapter section 50, whereby the upper end of the tubular member 63 is seated against a peripheral shoulder 66. The outer diameter of the tubular member 63 is determined so that it will fit tightly within the opening 58 in the body portion 56 and serve to axially connect the intermediate adapter section 50 and the lower adapter section 52. The opening 62 in the body portion 60 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubular member 63 so that the lower adapter section 52 is free to rotate relative to the fixed tubular member, but it will be understood that the flared lower end 64 of the tubular member extends radially outwardly immediately beneath the lower end of the body portion 60 so that the lower adapter section 52 is axially supported on the tubular member and thereby interconnected with the intermediate adapter section 50.

The three adapter sections 48, 50 and 52 are assembled together as shown in FIGURES 4a and 4b so that an elongated axial chamber is formed to receive the entire spindle 36 when the adapter 46 is mounted thereover. The chamber is formed by the cylindrical recess 55 in the upper adapter section, the cylindrical opening 58 in the intermediate adapter section, and the tubular member 63 which extends through the lower adapter section and partially into the intermediate section, all of the foregoing being in axial alignment when the adapter is assembled so as to provide a substantially continuous elongated axial chamber.

It will now be understood that the adapter 46 is designed to be mounted over the self-supporting spindle 36 and completely enclose the latter. With the spindle elements in their normal positions, i.e., the clutch fingers 44 retracted and the supporting fingers 42 projecting outwardly as shown in FIGURE 1, the adapter is simply slid downwardly over the spindle 36 until the lower end of the adapter engages the turntable 32 and the upper end of the spindle is seated against the rounded upper end of the recess 55 in the upper adapter section. As the adapter is slid downwardly over the spindle the outwardly extending record supporting fingers 42 are encompassed by the frusto-conical lower end 64 of the tubular member 63 and are thereby cammed radially inwardly to positions such as shown in FIGURE 4a, and they are continuously held in such inward positions as long as the adapter is mounted over the spindle.

As stated above, when the adapter 46 is operatively positioned on the spindle 36, the upper end of the spindle will be seated against the rounded upper end of the recess 55 in the upper adapter section 48. In such a position the spindle clutch fingers 44 are surrounded by a stationary rubber sleeve 68 which is fixedly mounted within a counterbore or the like in the inner body portion 54 of the upper adapter section 48, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. In addition, the record supporting fingers 42 will be engaged against the wall of the opening 58 in the intermediate adapter section 50 and will thus be held in radially inwardly compressed positions as shown in FIGURE 4a.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show an inverted cup-shaped member 70 which is disposed partially within the lower end of the lower adapter section 52. The member 70 is mounted over the tubular member 63 so as to be axially retained thereon by the frust0-conical end portion 64, and a compression spring 72 is provided between the top surface of the member 70 and a peripheral shoulder 74 formed within the lower adapter section 52 so as to urge the member 70 downwardly against the turntable 32. It will thus be understood that the member 70 will rotate with the turntable and will transmit torque through the spring 72 so as to also rotate the lower adapter section 52, whereas the upper and intermediate adapter sections 48 and 50 will be in a stationary position on the spindle 36.

It is believed that a somewhat fuller description of the elements of the spindle 36 as shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4a and 4b will be helpful in understanding the cooperation between the spindle and the adapter 46. It will be noted that the clutch members 44 comprise rubber pads or the like each of which is mounted on a corresponding spring finger 76. The extreme upper end of the spindle 36 comprises a nose portion 78 which is fitted within the upper end of the tubular spindle body 38, and each of the spring fingers 76 has a bent upper end portion which is seated in a groove in the nose member 78 so as to be sup ported therefrom. The spring fingers 76 are biased radially inwardly and are adapted to be extended outwardly to record gripping positions by a cam 80 formed on an axially movable clutch actuator rod 82.

FIGURE 4a shows the clutch rod 82 in its lowermost position wherein the cam 80 is spaced downwardly from the lower ends of the fingers 76 and the latter are thus in their radially inner positions. When the clutch rod 82 is moved upwardly the cam 80 engages the lower ends of the fingers 76 and causes the pads 44 to be extended outwardly of the spindle body 38 to grip records mounted on the spindle, assuming of course that the spindle 36 is being utilized for handling records with small centerholes and the adapter 46 is not mounted thereon.

Referring to the spindle record supporting fingers 42, it will be seen that these fingers are integral with the upper end of an elongated thin-walled tube 84 which surrounds the clutch rod 82 and is disposed immediately inwardly of the spindle body 38 so as to be axially slidable therein. During normal operation of the spindle 36, when the adapter 46 is not mounted thereon, movement of the tube 84 to its uppermost position permits the supporting fingers 42 to project outwardly through the slots 40 in the spindle wall as shown in FIGURE 1, and when the tube is moved downwardly the fingers engage the wall at the lower ends of the respective slots and are forced into the spindle body.

It will be seen from the foregoing that in order to operate the spindle 36 during a record change cycle it is necessary to actuate both the clutch rod 82 and the tube 84 to impart the desired vertical movements thereto in the desired time sequence, as is described more fully in my above-mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 119,400. FIGURES 4a and 412 show the manner in which the clutch rod 82 is associated with a clutch actuator tube 86, the upper end of the latter being bent over an enlarged knob 87 on the rod whereby downward movement of the actuator tube 86 will effect downward movement of the rod 82. In addition, a compression spring 88 is disposed between the bottom of the knob 87 and a plurality of inwardly struck tabs 90 formed from the tube 86 so that upward movement of the actuator tube 86 will cause the rod 82 to be moved upwardly, while at the same time the spring 88 will permit relative axial movement between the tube 86 and the rod 82 to minimize the possibility of damage to records which are gripped at their centerholes by the clutch pads 44.

The mechanism for moving the clutch actuator tube 86 and the supporting finger tube 84 axially in order to operate the record feeding components of the spindle 36 will be described hereinafter, but for the purpose of the present discussion it will simply be assumed that when the spindle 36 is actuated during a record change cycle the clutch rod 82 is first moved to its uppermost position, the supporting finger tube 84 is then moved first downwardly and then upwardly, and finally the clutch rod is returned to its lowermost position. With the latter normal sequence of operations in mind, the record feeding components of the adapter 46 and the manner of actuating the same from the spindle 36 will now be described.

FIGURES 2, 3 and 5 show a pair of horizontally disposed parallel cross pins 92 and 93 which have their ends seated in recesses provided therefor in the upper adapter section 48. A pair of bell crank members 94 and 95 are pivotally mounted on the pins 92 and 93 respectively. The bell-crank 94 has a curved upper end 97 which overlies the knob 78 which forms the upper end of the spindle 36, and the oppositely disposed bellcrank 95 is similarly provided with a curved upper end 98 which extends in the opposite direction in side-by-side relation with the curved end 97 and also overlies the upper end of the spindle 36.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the knob 78 which forms the upper end of the spindle 36 is provided with an axial opening, and the clutch rod 82 is provided with an upper extension 82' which is received within the opening. In addition, the clutch rod extension 82' is of such a length that when the clutch rod 82 is in its lowermost position as shown in FIG- URE 2 the upper end of the extension 82 will be approximately flush with the top of the knob 78, and when the clutch rod 82 is in its uppermost position as shown in FIGURE 3 the extension 82 will project upwardly above the top of the knob 78. It will be understood that when the clutch rod 82 is moved to the latter postion the extension 82 engages the overlying curved ends 97 and 98 of the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 and pivots them to the positions shown in FIGURE 3. The bellcrank lever 94 has a downwardly projecting arm 100 and the bellcrank lever 95 has a similar downwardly projecting arm 101, and when the bellcrank levers are pivoted as described hereinabove the arms 100 and 101 are moved toward one another from the positions of FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURE 3.

The adapter 46 is provided with record feeding components which are associated with the bellcrank arms 100 and 101 so as to be actuated thereby, and such components will now be described. FIGURES 2, 3 and 8 show a pair of lower blade members 102 and 104 which are slidable horizontally in opposite directions on ledges 105 and 106 (shown best in FIGURE 4a) formed on the inner body of the intermediate adapter section 50. FIG- URE 8 shows the blade 102 having an arm 102 which extends across the adapter body and is connected to the oppositely disposed bellcrank arm 101, and there is further shown the blade 104 having an arm 104' which extends across the adapter body and is connected to the oppositely disposed bellcrank arm 100.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when the clutch rod extension 82 is moved to its uppermost position to pivot the bellcranks 94 and 95 to the positions of FIGURE 3, the consequent movement of the bellcrank arms 100 and 101 inwardly toward one another will cause the lower pair of record supporting blades 102 and 104 to be extended into their operative record supporting positions. Furthermore, when the clutch rod extension 82 is moved to its lowermost position as shown in FIG- URE 2, the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 are returned to the pivotal positions of FIGURE 2 by spring means to be described hereinafter, and the lower blades 102 and 104 are thus retracted into the adapter body so as to be inoperative,

FIGURES 2, 3 and 7 illustrate a pair of oppositely disposed record supporting shelf members 108 and 109 which are slidable above the lower blades 102 and 104 and which move between extended positions as shown in FIGURE 2 wherein they are adapted to support a stack of records R and retracted positions as shown in FIG- URE 3 wherein they are inoperative. FIGURE 7 shows a pair of compression springs 110 and 112 which are seated in pockets provided therefore in each of the shelf members 108 and 109 and which yieldingly urge the latter in opposite directions toward their radially outer operative positions.

As best shown in FIGURE 7, the shelf member 108 is provided with a vertical slot 114 which permits the bellcrank arm 100 to extend downwardly through the shelf for operative engagement with the lower blade 102 as previously described. In a similar manner, the opposite shelf member 109 is provided with a vertical slot 116 to permit the bellcrank arm 101 to extend downwardly therethrough for engagement with th lower blade 104. The upper surface of the shelf 108 is further provided with a recess 117 which communicates with the slot 114, and which is for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The upper surface of the shelf 109 is similarly provided with a recess 118 which communicates with the slot 116 formed therein. The manner of actuating the shelves 108 and 109 will be explained hereinafter.

FIGURES 2, 3 and 6 show a pair of oppositely disposed upper record separator blades 120 and 122 which are slidable horizontally in opposite directions above the supporting shelves 108 and 109. The upper blades 120 and 122 are movable between extended positions as shown in FIGURE 3 wherein they are adapted to project between the lowermost and the next-to-lowermost records in stack of records supported on the shelves 108 and 109 so as to support all but the lowermost record thereof, and retracted positions as shown in FIGURE 2 wherein they are inoperative. In a manner similar to the lower blades 102 and 104 previously described, the upper blade 120 has an arm 120' which extends across the adapter body and is operatively connected to the oppositely disposed bellcrank arm 101 which passes through an aperture formed in the end of the arm 120'. In a similar fashion, the upper blade 122 is provided with an arm 122 which extends across the adapter body and connects with the oppositely disposed bellcrank arm 100 which passes through an aperture in the end of the arm 122'. It will thus be understood that when the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 are in the pivotal positions shown in FIGURE 2, the upper separator blades 120 and 122 will be in their retracted inoperative positions, and when the clutch rod extension 82' is raised to pivot the bellcrank levers to the positions shown in FIGURE 3, the upper blades will be extended to their readily outer operative ositions.

The upper separator blade 120 is provided with a downwardly projecting tab 124 which projects into the recess 118 (see FIGURES 6, 7 and 9) formed in the top of the oppositely disposed supporting shelf 109, whereby when the upper blade 120 is extended it will pull the shelf 109 to retracted position. Similarly, the upper separator blade 122 is provided with a downwardly projecting tab 125 which projects into the recess 117 formed in the oppositely disposed supporting shelf 108, whereby when the blade 122 is extended it will pull the shelf 108 into retracted position. When the blades 120 and 122 are retracted they will permit the shelves 108 and 109 to be extended by the compression springs 110 and 112 mounted therebetween.

The manner of pivoting the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 from the positions of FIGURE 2 to the positions of FIGURE 3 has previously been described, and it will now be understood that the resulting inward movement of the bellcrank arms and 101 will extend the upper pair of blades and 122 and the lower pair of blades 102 and 104, and will retract the supporting shelves 108 and 109. When the clutch rod extension 82' is lowered to the position of FIGURE 2, some means must of course be provided for returning the two sets of blades and the shelves as well as the bellcrank levers to the positions of FIGURE 2. This may be accomplished by providing spring means to bias the bellcrank levers to the position of FIGURE 2. However, the same result may be accomplished by providing tension spring means between the oppositely disposed upper blades 120 and 122 to urge them inwardly toward one another, and similar spring means may be provided to urge the lower blades 102 and 104 inwardly toward their retracted positions. Such tension spring means is illustrated in the above-mentioned Van Antwerp Patent 2,918,288.

The sequence of operations for the self-supporting spindle 36 when it is operating independently of the adapter 46 has previously been explained, and the resultant sequence of operations for the adapter 46 which is mounted on the spindle 36 and actuated therefrom will now be described. As previously stated, during a record change cycle the clutch actuator rod 82 is first moved upwardly in order to engage the cam 80 with the lower ends of the clutch members 44 to expand the latter outwardly to grip a record. When the adapter 46 is mounted over the spindle 36, such upward movement of the rod 82 will expand the clutch pads 44 outwardly into engagement with the rubber sleeve 68 which forms a part of the adapter. This is an important feature of the present invention since the expansion of the pads 44 into the sleeve 68 causes the adapter to be frictionally locked to the spindle 36 each time the mechanism is actuated during a record change cycle. In other words, the adapter 46 may be designed to fit over the spindle 36 in a relatively loose manner to facilitate mounting of the adapter and removal thereof from the spindle, and yet during a record change cycle when an upward force is applied to the adapter from the clutch rod extension 82, the adapter will be gripped through expansion of the clutch pads 44. Obviously, the spacing of the clutch rod extension 82 and the overlying members 97 and 98 can be designed to assure that the adapter will be sufiiciently gripped prior to application of upward force to the members 97 and 98.

The above-mentioned upward movement of the clutch rod 82 will cause the extension 82 to project above the upper end of the spindle 36 and pivot the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 from the positions of FIGURE 2 to the positions of FIGURE 3, thus causing the upper blades 120 and 122 and the lower blades 102 and 104 to be extended, and the record supporting shelves 108 and 109 to be retracted. Accordingly, if a stack of records is supported on the supporting shelves 108 and 109 at the beginning of the cycle, the lowermost record R will be dropped to an intermediate position so as to be supported on the lower blades 102 and 104, while the remainder of the stack will be supported on the upper separator blades 120 and 122.

The next step in the operation of the record fccding mechanism of the spindle 36 is to move the tube 84 and supporting fingers 42 thereon first downwardly and then upwardly again. When the spindle 36 is operating independently such operation serves to drop a record to the turntable, but with the adapter 46 mounted over the spindle this operation serves no purpose and simply results in axial sliding movement of the fingers 42 within the adapter body without producing any consequent actuation of the adapter record feeding mechanism.

The final operation of the spindle 36 during a record change cycle comprises the downward movement of the actuator rod 82. When the spindle 36 is operating independently, the latter operation serves to permit the clutch pads 44 to retract into the spindle body so that the stack of records will again be supported on the supporting fingers 42. However, with the adapter 46 mounted on the spindle, the lowering of the rod 82 permits the bellcrank levers 94 and 95 to return to the pivotal positions of FIG- URE 2, whereby the upper adapter blades 120 and 122. and the lower blades 102 and 104 will retract into the adapter housing, and the adapter supporting shelves 108 and 109 will again be extended to their operative positions. Accordingly, the lowermost record R which had been supported on the lower pair of blades 102 and 104 will be dropped to the turntable for playing, and the remainder of the stack will be supported on the supporting shelves 108 and 109.

The purpose of providing the lower pair of blades 102 and 104 is to support a record to be played in spaced relation to the stack in order to facilitate sensing the size thereof prior to dropping the record to the turntable. The size of the record may be sensed by moving the tone arm into engagement with the periphery of the record, or by any other suitable size sensing means.

Having described hereinabove the structure of the adapter 46 and the manner of mounting the adapter on a self-supporting spindle and actuating it from the spindle,:

it will be understood that the mechanism for actuating the clutch rod 82 and the supporting finger tube 84 of the spindle 36 is intended to function in the usual manner when the adapter is mounted over the spindle, although it is the movement of the clutch rod 82 only and not the movement of the tube 84 which serves to actuate the record feeding components of the adapter. A further feature of the present invention relates to novel actuating mechanism of the foregoing type and represents an improvement over the corresponding mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 119,400, although the improved mechanism is intended to produce the same sequence of operations with respect to movement of the supporting fingers 42 and the clutch pads 44 as is described in the earlier application.

The foregoing improved mechanism will now be described and for this purpose reference is made to FIG- URE 4b. There is shown a tubular cam member 128 which is mounted on the lower end of the tubular spindle body 38 and held thereon by a washer or the like 129. The cam 128 is rotatable on the spindle body and is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed cam slots 130 and 132 adapted to receive opposite ends of a follower pin 133 which is carried by the lower end of the tube 84. The configuration of the cam slots 130 and 132 appears from FIGURES l, 15 and 16, and it will be understood that rotation of the cam 128 in one direction will lower the tube 84 and cause the supporting fingers 42 to be retracted, and rotation of the cam in the opposite direction will raise the tube 84 and permit the fingers 42 to expand outwardly. A plurality of pinion teeth 134 are formed on the upper end of the cam 128 for cooperation with a rack member 136, whereby reciprocation of the rack will cause the tube 84 to be moved first downwardly and then upwardly.

FIGURE 4b further shows a second cam member 138 which is mounted on the tubular spindle body 38 above the cam 128 and is held in slightly spaced relation to the latter cam by a washer or the like 139. The cam 138 is also rotatable on the spindle body and is provided with oppositely disposed interior cam slots 140 and 141 (see FIGURE 14) adapted to receive opposite ends of a second follower pin 142 which is carried by the lower end of the tube 86, the latter being connected with the clutch actuator rod 82 in the manner described earlier herein. The configuration of the internal cam slots 140 and 141 is best shown in FIGURE 14 and it will be understood that rotation of the cam 138 in one direction will raise the tube 86 and the clutch actuator rod 82 so as to expand the clutch pads 44, and rotation of the cam 138 in the opposite direction will lower the tube 86 and actuator rod 82 and permit the clutch pads 44 to retract. A plurality of pinion teeth 144 are formed at the upper end of the cam 138 for cooperation with a rack member 145, whereby reciprocation of the rack will cause the tube 86 to be moved first upwardly and then downwardly.

The cam 138 may be made in two parts comprising an upper portion 146 and a lower portion 148 which are assembled in superposed relation. FIGURES 10 and 11 show the upper cam portion 146, and FIGURES l2 and 13 illustrate the lower portion 148. The upper portion 146 as shown in FIGURE 10 is superposed on the lower portion 148 as shown in FIGURE 12 and when thus assembled a pair of downwardly projecting tabs 149 and 150 formed on the portion 146 project into corresponding recesses or slots 151 and 152 provided in the lower portion 148 so as to orient the two cam components relative to one another. Referring to the developed view of FIGURE 14, the upper component 146 has a pair of oppositely disposed lower cam surfaces 154 and 154 which cooperate with a pair of oppositely disposed upper cam surfaces 156 and 156 formed on the lower component 148 so as to define the respective internal cam slots 140 and 141 for actuating the follower pin 142.

FIGURE 1 shows the upper and lower racks 145 and 136, and mechanism for reciprocating the same during a record change cycle. A large diameter gear 158 is rotatably mounted beneath the baseplate 30 on a fixed supporting stud 160 which projects downwardly from the baseplate. The gear 158 is not described in detail since it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is of a known construction comprising a mutilated gear which is automatically driven through one revolution during each record change cycle by a pinion (not shown) associated with the turntable and rotatable therewith.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the left hand end of the upper rack 145 is associated with the cam 138 for rotating the latter as previously described, and the rack is provided with a slot 162 (see FIGURE 17) which accommodates the stud 160 whereby the latter serves to support and guide the rack 145 during reciprocation thereof. The right hand end of the rack 145 serves to drive a lift pin 163 for raising and lowering the tone arm 34. The left hand end of the lower rack 136 is associated with the cam 128 for rotating the latter as described hereinabove, and the rack 136 is also provided with a slot 164 (see FIG- URE 18) for receiving the stud 160.

A cam plate 166 comprising two cam sections 168 and 169 is disposed beneath the large gear 158 and is supported from the gear by any suitable connecting means such as the brackets 170 for rotation therewith. Accordingly, the cam plate 166 will be rotated about the axis of the stud 160 one revolution during each record change cycle. The cam section 168 has formed therein a continuous cam track 172 (see FIGURE 17), and the spacing between the two cam sections 168 and 169 defines a portion of second cam track 173.

Each of the rack members 136 and 145 is associated with a corresponding one of the above-described cam tracks to effect reciprocation of the racks in proper time sequence upon rotation of the cam plate 166 during a record change cycle. Thus, the upper rack 145 carries an upwardly projecting follower pin 174 which is adapted to follow the peripheral surface of the cam section 168 and thus pass through the cam slot 173. The lower rack 136 is normally fixedly associated with a slide 176 having an upwardly projecting follower pin 177 which is disposed within the cam track 172 so as to be controlled thereby.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the cam plate 166 will be rotated one revolution during each record change cycle and will act upon the follower pins 174 and 177 to reciprocate the racks 145 and 136 linearly in a desired relative time sequence, whereby the racks will in turn actuate the rotary cams 128 and 138 in the manner previously described. When the cam plate 166 is in its normal position as shown in FIGURE 17, the rack 145 and rotary cam 138 will be positioned in such a manner that the associated actuating tube 86 which controls the clutch rod 82 will be in its lowermost position, and the rack 136 and rotary cam 128 will be positioned in such a manner that the associated tube 84 which carries the supporting fingers 42 will be in its uppermost position. Rotation of the cam plate 166 will provide the sequence of operations described earlier herein and set forth in greater detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 119,400.

When the self-supporting spindle 36 is being used independently without the adapter 46 mounted thereon, it may be desired to provide means which permit manual loading of one record at a time over the spindle and onto the turntable 32. It is for the purpose of permitting such manual operation that the lower rack 136 is associated with the slide 176 and is disengageable therefrom, whereas the slide itself is continuously in operative association with the cam plate 166 through the follower pin 177. Thus, if the rack 136 is disengaged from the slide 176, the rack will not be reciprocated during a record change cycle, and the supporting fingers 42 can be maintained in a retracted position within the spindle body 38 to permit a record to be manually slid down the spindle to the turntable.

Referring to FIGURES 18 and 20, the follower pin 177 has a small diameter portion 180 which projects through the slot 164 in the rack 136, and an enlarged head 181 on the portion 180 underlies the rack so as to connect the slide 176 thereto. However, the slide 176 can be pivoted laterally relative to the rack 136 between the position shown in FIGURE 18 wherein the rack is engaged with the slide for linear movement therewith, and the position of FIGURE 19 wherein the rack is disengaged from the slide and will not reciprocate therewith. In the position of FIGURE 18 a small upwardly projecting tab 182 is engaged against a shoulder 183 on the slide so that the two members will move together as a unit. In the position of FIGURE 19 the slide has been moved laterally (upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 19) relative to the rack so that the tab 182 is in alignment with a slot 184 in the slide. In the latter position the slide 176 is free to reciprocate under the control of the cam plate 166 while the rack 136 will remain stationary, whereby the spindle record supporting fingers 42 may be maintained in a retracted position within the spindle body 38 to permit manual operation as above described.

FIGURE 18 shows a spring 186 which serves to bias the slide 176 to the relative position of FIGURE 18 wherein the slide and the rack 136 act together as a unit. A spider 187 having an arm 188 is pivotally mounted on a rod 189 which extends downwardly from the baseplate 30, and the end of the arm 188 is adapted to engage a tab 190 formed on the slide 176, whereby upon pivoting of the spider in a counterclockwise direction the slide will be moved slightly from the position of FIGURE 18 to the position of FIGURE 19. A manual control knob and means connecting the same to the spider 187 may be provided so that actuation of the knob will disengage the rack 136 and permit manual operation, but

such mechanism is not itself a part of the present invention and will not be described herein.

While I have illustrated my invention in a preferred form, I do not intend to be limited to such a form except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since modifications coming Within the scope of my invention will be readily suggested to others with my disclosure before them.

I claim:

1. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator member slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, said actuator member being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, and means in said adapter for actuating record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means being operated by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of said spindle.

2. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle body to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supponting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator member slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, said actuator member being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, means in said adapter for actuating record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means being actuated by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of said spindle, and means for moving said actuator upwardly and downwardly whereby the upper end of said actuator will operate the record feeding components of said adapter.

3. In a record changer, in combination, a selfsupporting spindle having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to place the lowermost record on a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, an actuator member slidable upwardly in said spindle for expanding said clutch means and downwardly therein for retracting said clutch means, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, a portion of said adapter being positioned to engage said clutch means, and means for moving said actuator upwardly and downwardly whereby when said actuator is moved upwardly said clutch means will be expanded into said adapter to effect gripping between said spindle and said adapter to prevent upward movement of said adapter.

4. In a record changer, in combination, a selfsupponting spindle having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to place the lowermost record on a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator member slidable upwardly in said spindle for expanding said clutch means and downwardly therein for retracting said clutch means, said actuator being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position to expand said clutch means it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, a portion of said adapter being positioned to engage said clutch means, means in said adapter for actuating record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means being operated by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of said spindle, and means for moving said actuator upwardly and downwardly whereby when said actuator is moved upwardly said clutch means will be expanded into said adapter to effect gripping between said spindle and said adapter to prevent upward movement of said adapter, and said upper end of said actuator will operate the record feeding components of said adapter.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the portion of said adapter which is positioned to engage said clutch means comprises a resilient sleeve which surrounds said clutch means when said adapter is mounted over said spindle.

6. In a record changer, in combination, a self-supporting spindle having record feeding components including a plurality of record supporting fingers which normally extend outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which are retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator member slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, said actuator member being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, means in said adapter adapted to engage the outwardly extending supporting fingers of said spindle when said adapter is mounted on said spindle and to thereby compress said fingers to radially inward positions, and means in said adapter for actuating record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means being operated by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of said spindle.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said means in said adapter for compressing said supporting fingers radially inwardly includes a tube with an outwardly flared frustoconical lower end portion which encompasses said fingers when said adapter is mounted down over said spindle.

8. In a record changer, in combination, a self-supporting spindle having record feeding components including a plurality of record supporting fingers which normally extend outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which are retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost recrd, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator member slidable upwardly in said spindle for expanding said clutch means and downwardly therein for retracting said clutch means, said actuator being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position to expand said clutch means it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle for handling records with large centerholes, a tubular member with an outwardly flared 'frusto-conical lower end mounted within said adapter for encompassing the outwardly extending supporting fingers of said spindle when said adapter is mounted downwardly over said spindle and for compressing said fingers to radially inward positions, a sleeve mounted in said adapter and positioned to encompass said clutch means, means in said adapter for actuating record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means being operated by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of said spindle, and means for moving said ctuat-or upwardly and downwardly whereby when said actuator is moved upwardly said clutch means will be expanded into said sleeve to effect gripping between said spindle and said adapter, and said upper end of said actuator will operate the record feeding components of said adapter.

9. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle, said actuator being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle and having record feeding components for handling records with large centerholes, and means in said adapter for actuating the record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means including at least one pivoted lever having an upper end portion which overlies the upper end of said spindle when the adapter is mounted thereon whereby said lever will he pivoted by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of the spindle.

ii). In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and Which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, s-aid actuator member being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle and having record feeding components for handling records with large centerholes, and means in said adapter for actuating the record feeding components therein, said last-mentioned means including at least one pivoted lever having an upper end portion which overlies the upper end of said spindle when the adapter is mounted thereon whereby said lever will be pivoted by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of the spindle.

11. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, said actuator member being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle and having record feeding components for handling records with large centerholes, and a pair of bellcrank levers pivotally mounted in said adapter for actuating said adapter record feeding components, each of said bellcrank levers having an upwardly projecting arm which overlies the upper end of said spindle when the adapter is mounted thereon whereby said levers will be pivoted by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of the spindle, and each bellcrank lever having a downwardly projecting arm adapted to operate corresponding adapter record feeding components.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said bellcrank levers are mounted respectively on a pair of spaced parallel horizontally disposed pivot pins and are arranged in oppositely disposed relation with their upwardly projecting arms extending in side-by-side relation and in opposite directions over the upper end of said spindle so as to overlie the same and with their downwardly projecting arms adapted to operate corresponding ones of said adapter record feeding components.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said adapter record feeding components include a pair of upper record separator blades which are oppositely disposed and slidable horizontally between retracted inoperative positions and extended positions wherein they are adapted to support all but the lowermost record in a stack, and wherein said downwardly projecting bellcrank arms each extend through an aperture in an oppositely disposed upper separator blade whereby when said bellcrank levers are pivoted by the upper end of said actuator said downwardly projecting bellcrank arms will be moved toward one another and said upper separator blades will thereby be extended to their operative positions.

14. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle, said actuator being adapted to project through said opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle, and record feeding components in said adapter for handling records with large centerholes comprising a plurality of upper separator blades for supporting all but the lowermost record in a stack and a plurality of lower blades adapted to support a record to be played in an intermediate position before the same is dropped to the turntable, said upper and lower blades being operated by said actuator member.

15. In a record changer having a self-supporting spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, the improvement comprising, in combination, a spindle, an axial opening in said spindle extending through the upper end thereof, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said spindle record feeding components, said actuator member being adapted to project through said axial opening and being of such a length that when moved to its uppermost position it will project above the upper end of said spindle, an adapter removably mounted over said spindle, record feeding components in said adapter for handling records with large centerholes comprising a pair of upper separator blades for supporting all but the lowermost record in a stack and a pair of lower blades in substantial vertical alignment with said upper blades and adapted to support a record to be played in an intermediate position before the same is dropped to the turntable, said upper and lower pairs of blades each comprising a pair of oppositely disposed blades slidable horizontally between retracted inoperative positions and extended operative positions, and a pair of bellcrank levers pivotally mounted in said adapter on a pair of spaced parallel horizontally disposed pivot pins and arranged in oppositely disposed relation, said bellcrank levers having respective upwardly projecting arms which extend in side-by-side relation and in opposite directions over the upper end of said spindle so as to overlie the same whereby said levers will be pivoted by the upper end of said actuator when the latter projects above the upper end of the spindle, and each bellcrank lever having a downwardly projecting arm which arms extend through apertures in an oppositely disposed upper blade and an oppositely disposed lower blade whereby when said bellcrank levers are pivoted by the upper end of said actuator said downwardly projecting bellcrank arms will be moved toward one another and said upper and lower blades will be extended to their operative positions.

16. A record changer spindle comprising, in combination, record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said record feeding components, cam follower means carried by the lower end of said actuator, a cam member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said spindle and having a cam track for acting upon said follower means to raise and lower the latter, a plurality of teeth formed on the exterior of said cam, and rack means operatively engaged with said teeth whereby reciprocation of said rack means will rotate said cam member and thereby effect raising and lowering of said actuator.

17. A record changer spindle comprising, in combination, record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, a first actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating said record supporting means, a second actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating said clutch means, first cam follower means carried by the lower end of said first actuator, second cam follower means carried by the lower end of said second actuator, a first cam member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said spindle and having a first cam track for acting upon said first follower means to raise and lower said first actuator, a second cam member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said spindle and having a second cam track for acting upon said second follower means to raise and lower said second actuator, and means for rotating said first and second cam members to effect operation of said record supporting means and said clutch means.

18. A record changer spindle comprising, in combination, record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records and which is retractable within the spindle to drop the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record, a first actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating said record supporting means, a second actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating said clutch means, first earn follower means carried by the lower end of said first actuator, second cam follower means carried by the lower end of said second actuator, a first cam member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said spindle and having a first cam track for acting upon said first follower means to raise and lower the first actuator, a second cam member rotatably mounted on the lower end of said spindle and having a second cam track for acting upon said second follower means to raise and lower the second actuator, a plurality of teeth formed on each of said cam members, and a pair of rack members each engaged with the teeth on a corresponding one of said cam members whereby reciprocation of said racks will rotate said first and second cam members and thereby effect operation of said record supporting means and said clutch means.

19. In a record changer spindle of the type having record feeding components including record supporting means which is normally extended outwardly of the spindle to support a stack of records on an upper storage portion of the spindle and which is retractable within the spindle to release the lowermost record to a turntable and including clutch means which is normally retracted in the spindle and which is expandable for supporting all but the lowermost record on said upper storage portion, the improvement com-prising, in combination, an actuator slidable upwardly and downwardly in said spindle for operating at least certain ones of said record feeding components, cam follower means carried by the lower end of said actuator, a rotary cam member mounted adjacent said lower end of said actuator and having a cam track in engagement with said follower means for raising and lowering the latter, said cam being mounted concentrically relative to the longitudinal axis of said spindle and being rotatable in a first direction about said spindle axis to raise said follower means and said actuator and in a sec-0nd direction about said spindle axis to lower said follower means and said actuator, and drive means engaged with said cam member for rotating the same about said spindle axis first in one direction and then in the opposite direction during a record change cycle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,604,325 7/1952 Hansen 27410 2,893,739 7/1959 Maxim 27410 3,020,050 2/1962 Jorner 274-10 3,083,022 3/1963 Hansen 27410 3,092,391 6/1963 Hammerand 274-10 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,120,016 4/1956 France.

NORTON ANSI-IER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner. 

1. IN A RECORD CHANGER HAVING A SELF-SUPPORTING SPINDLE OF THE TYPE HAVING RECORD FEEDING COMPONENTS INCLUDING RECORD SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH IS NORMALLY EXTENDED OUTWARDLY OF THE SPINDLE TO SUPPORT A STACK OF RECORDS AND WHICH IS RETRACTABLE WITHIN THE SPINDLE TO DROP THE LOWERMOST RECORD TO A TURNTABLE AND INCLUDING CLUTCH MEANS WHICH NORMALLY RETRACTED IN THE SPINDLE AND WHICH IS EXPANDABLE FOR SUPPORTING ALL BUT THE LOWERMOST RECORD, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SPINDLE, AN OPENING IN SAID SPINDLE EXTENDING THROUGH THE UPPER END THEREOF, AN ACTUATOR MEMBER SLIDABLE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY IN SAID SPINDLE FOR OPERATING AT LEAST CERTAIN ONES OF SAID SPINDLE RECORD FEEDING COMPONENTS, SAID ACTUATOR MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO PROJECT THROUGH SAID 